rakettjeblauw
11-05-2017, 13:57
Tensions have resurfaced between Turkey and Israel, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticising the “racist and discriminatory” treatment of Palestinians, and Israel condemning Turkey’s increasingly poor human rights record.
Erdogan said the blockade of Gaza had “no place in humanity”.
“Each day that Jerusalem is under occupation is an insult to us,” Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the International Forum on al-Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) Waqf in Istanbul.
He called on Muslims to visit the iconic al-Aqsa mosque (pictured) in Jerusalem to support the Palestinian cause and called for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. Erdogan condemned Israeli legislation to muffle the azan, the Islamic call to prayer, in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
“If you have faith in your religion, why are you afraid of the azan?” the increasingly dictatorial president said. “We will not allow the azan to be stopped in al-Quds [Jerusalem].”
Turkey is the successor of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region from the late-15th century until 1917.
The Israeli foreign ministry responded in kind by tweeting: “Those who systematically violate human rights in their own country shouldn’t preach to region’s only true democracy.”
Foreign Ministry director-general Yuval Rotem telephoned Turkish ambassador Kemal Okem for a “clarification conversation”, the ministry said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin replied: “We have heard voices which attack Israel for building Jewish life in Jerusalem. I must tell these people, for the last 150 years there has been a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, since 1850. Even under the Ottoman empire, there was a Jewish majority in Jerusalem.
“There is no doubt, Jerusalem is a microcosm of our ability to live together. And we will continue to ensure freedom of religion for all faiths.”
Israel has recently been criticised over a hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners demanding better conditions in jail, while Ankara has been accused of growing authoritarianism after Erdogan narrowly won the contentious April 7 referendum that granted him sweeping powers.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said: “It is surprising that Erdogan, who leads a state that occupied Jerusalem for 400 years, wants to preach to us about how to manage our city.
“Unlike during the Turkish occupation, Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty is a flourishing, open and free city that allows freedom of religion and worship for all. In recent years, record numbers of Muslims have visited the Temple Mount and held prayers, exercising their absolute freedom of religion under Israeli sovereignty.”
It is the first breakdown in relations since the two former allies mended diplomatic bridges last June, formally ending six years of estrangement since the Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli commandos attacked a flotilla aiming to break the siege of Gaza. Nine Turkish civilians died in the attack.
http://www.eurasiatimes.org/en/11/05/2017/erdogan-sparks-israel-row/
Erdogan said the blockade of Gaza had “no place in humanity”.
“Each day that Jerusalem is under occupation is an insult to us,” Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the International Forum on al-Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) Waqf in Istanbul.
He called on Muslims to visit the iconic al-Aqsa mosque (pictured) in Jerusalem to support the Palestinian cause and called for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. Erdogan condemned Israeli legislation to muffle the azan, the Islamic call to prayer, in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
“If you have faith in your religion, why are you afraid of the azan?” the increasingly dictatorial president said. “We will not allow the azan to be stopped in al-Quds [Jerusalem].”
Turkey is the successor of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region from the late-15th century until 1917.
The Israeli foreign ministry responded in kind by tweeting: “Those who systematically violate human rights in their own country shouldn’t preach to region’s only true democracy.”
Foreign Ministry director-general Yuval Rotem telephoned Turkish ambassador Kemal Okem for a “clarification conversation”, the ministry said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin replied: “We have heard voices which attack Israel for building Jewish life in Jerusalem. I must tell these people, for the last 150 years there has been a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, since 1850. Even under the Ottoman empire, there was a Jewish majority in Jerusalem.
“There is no doubt, Jerusalem is a microcosm of our ability to live together. And we will continue to ensure freedom of religion for all faiths.”
Israel has recently been criticised over a hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners demanding better conditions in jail, while Ankara has been accused of growing authoritarianism after Erdogan narrowly won the contentious April 7 referendum that granted him sweeping powers.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said: “It is surprising that Erdogan, who leads a state that occupied Jerusalem for 400 years, wants to preach to us about how to manage our city.
“Unlike during the Turkish occupation, Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty is a flourishing, open and free city that allows freedom of religion and worship for all. In recent years, record numbers of Muslims have visited the Temple Mount and held prayers, exercising their absolute freedom of religion under Israeli sovereignty.”
It is the first breakdown in relations since the two former allies mended diplomatic bridges last June, formally ending six years of estrangement since the Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli commandos attacked a flotilla aiming to break the siege of Gaza. Nine Turkish civilians died in the attack.
http://www.eurasiatimes.org/en/11/05/2017/erdogan-sparks-israel-row/